Before
by zanifest
Summary: "I would be dead, you know," She spoke softly, blinking and looking down. "I know," He said, "I think that's why I did it. Threw you the uh- um, bread I mean. Because I'd do anything to protect you. You mean more to me than you think." / / In which Peeta and Katniss grow close before the games begin.


**author's note (a/n):**

 **summary** **:** _"I would be dead, you know," She spoke softly, blinking and looking down. "I know," He said, "I think that's why I did it. Threw you the du- um, bread I mean. Because I'd do anything to protect you. You mean more to me than you think." / / In which Peeta and Katniss grow close before the games begin._

 **Hi. My name is Suzanne (I KNOW, RIGHT?...Don't worry, it's legit), but you can just call me Zan. I love the Hunger Games, and I love the characters and the story, but I hate Suzanne Collins' writing style... it's very... childish. The books, I feel, did not reach their full potential under her pen, so, I'm re-writing them (for the most part) the way I would have liked to see them. I have nothing against Suzanne Collins, she had genius ideas, but didn't the end of Mockingjay just want to make you throw your book and scream "BULLSHIT!"? And DON'T get me started on Finnick's and Prim's deaths.**

 **I have no legal rights to this franchise, but damn, do I love it. If you don't like it, that's just fine. If you do like it, follow/favorite and review. I might be posting polls or one-shots for fun so check out my profile! This is my first story, so... let's hope all goes well.**

 **Peeta: Hi Zan!**

 **Me: Woah. *Blushes while internally doing flips* Hi, PEEEEEETTTAAA!**

 **Peeta: Are you okay? I just came to ask if you owned The Hunger Games now, because, well... you ship me and Katniss, and... *grins sheepishly***

 **Me: Sadly, my Mellarkable friend, I do not own the Hunger Games. Or any of its relations.**

 **Peeta: Aw, man.**

 **/ /**

 _Katniss' POV - Age: 13_

Katniss woke earlier than usual this brisk March morning, the morning of her first ever trade with the baker. She'd only ever traded in the Hob before today, but she had run out of tesserae grain- and her family needed bread. It was one of the most filling forms of food they could eat, and she could only hope the baker would take interest in something she could bring from the woods.

As she put her hunting boots on and began to lace them, she thought about if today was really a good day to do something like this. Treading into town with a full game bag would worry her more if the peacekeepers in District Twelve weren't such slackers. As a matter of fact, the head peacekeeper, "Old Cray", as they call him, has a special liking for wild turkey. He's purchased more than one from her before. And a lot of the younger peacekeepers hang out over at the Hob.

So of course peacekeepers wouldn't be much of an issue with trading in town, but the idea was just so foreign to Katniss. She had never done this before, and it made her anxious. What would happen if she got into trouble and couldn't provide for her little sister, Primrose? What would happen then?... There wasn't any doubt in her mind Prim would suffer. She would starve. She cringed at the thought of Prim, weak and withered, bones jutting out of her skin as the weight of the whole world cracked down on her frail little shoulders. _No,_ she thought to herself, _I wouldn't let that happen to her_. She would do anything in her power for Prim. You see, Primrose Everdeen was just so... innocent. Kind. She had a light in her that made her so sweet and lovely you couldn't help but wonder how there was someone like her still alive in the hellhole District Twelve citizens called "home".

But if she was going to trade in town, today was the day. It was one of the warmest days they've had since November, and the woods would be running rampant. She could get a good haul, and besides- She's noticed a pattern with the baker's awful wife. The woman hated Katniss, and the scrawny girl knew it. All because of that day when... _well, maybe that was just another reason not to go,_ she thought. But anyhow, onto the baker's wife... Sunday was the only day of the week the baker's wife wasn't at home, Katniss saw her leaving there very early on Sundays all the time and not returning until dark. She didn't know where the baker's wife went to on Sundays, but she didn't need to. She just needed to know she was gone.

There was just one final problem. Katniss had no doubt that Peeta Mellark, the baker's youngest boy, would be in there this morning. He was so gracious, kind, and gentle- she payed close attention to him in school. When she was eleven, just after her dad died, her whole family was struggling to survive. They hadn't eaten a thing besides mint leaves and water for nearly a week- and Katniss was desperate. Peeta had burnt two loaves of bread and was whipped by his mother, then ordered to feed them to the pigs, to which he responded by throwing them out to Katniss. She had been so extremely grateful in that moment in the rain, that moment when he gave her that bread. If he hadn't been so kind, she didn't want to think about what would've happened... her mother and sister would probably be dead and gone, as would she. She shivered thinking of the brutal punishment he most likely received from his horrible mother after doing something so unimaginable as "giving anything to a dirty Seam brat!" as she would probably say.

Katniss looked down at the floor of her small, old house and swallowed thickly. Ever since that day, Katniss had been in Peeta Mellark's debt. She owed him.

Oh, how she hated owing people.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful, because she was very grateful, but owing people was not how you stayed alive. Hard work and quick thinking is how you stayed alive. To make matters worse, Katniss had never even said _thank you_ to the boy who threw her the bread. She had tried, many, many, times- but she could never bring herself to do it. She could only hope he knew how grateful she truly was for his kindness, and that he wasn't angry or expecting something in return that she couldn't give.

In the end, Katniss devised to just wait until she was done in woods and decide where to go from there. She grabbed her game bag and an old burlap sack and slipped her hunting jacket on. She left a note for Prim on the kitchen counter and then slipped silently outside.

For the first time in almost five months, Katniss didn't shiver as she stepped outside and she could see the sun, brighter and warmer than it was all winter, rising up from the horizon. It pleased her to see that the only sign winter was even ever there were the thin traces of dirt-covered snow on the ground.

She let out a deep breath and made haste to the fence guarding the woods. It wasn't far from the Seam, and it wasn't likely anyone was out this early, but she didn't like being seen doing this. She didn't need someone catching her thinking she was some careless little girl traipsing off into the woods at the most indecent ours of the morning. She could handle herself, and that's exactly what she was doing.

She came to an abrupt halt at the fence and leaned in towards it, straining her ears for the tell-tale hum that mean the electricity was on. When she did not hear it, she slipped through the fence and retreated into the woods. She could instantly feel herself relax as she walked over to the hollow log where she kept her favorite bow and arrows. She knew of some others hidden throughout the woods, but she didn't often opt to use them. This was her father's favorite bow as well, and she felt most comfortable using it. The others also belonged to her father, some of which she didn't even know the exact location of.

Feeling at ease in the woods, Katniss silently snuck behind a towering oak in wait of animals that crossed her path. While she was still not the most experienced huntress, only attempting to hunt by herself for about a year now, Katniss was excellent at being very quiet and patient, and her father had always told her she was a natural shooter with terrific aim.

She was born to hunt. She could feel every time she entered the woods, because she instantly felt relaxed, alive... and just plain _better_ than she felt anywhere else.

Suddenly, two squirrels, probably mates, sprang up out of a bush and began to scurry the ground looking for nuts from the huge tree Katniss was under. She instantly took aim at the bigger one, pulled back and released. Before she could even think or the other squirrel could react, Katniss had her bow set on it and she let another arrow fly. She hurried over and quietly scooped them up and stuffed them in her game bag, but not before pulling out the arrows in their eyes.

She then wandered further through the woods, making her way to the strawberry patch near the river. Along the way she managed to shoot three more squirrels, all right through the eye. It was a good hunting day so far, compared to the awful winter. During the cold months, Katniss would be lucky to snatch up one squirrel, much less five.

Once she arrived at the strawberry patch, she dove in, her fingers working quickly to pick the biggest, ripest ones. Since it was only March they weren't totally grown in, but strawberries were spring fruit, so they started growing a while ago. They were good enough to eat and sell, and that's all she cared about.

Katniss didn't stop picking fruit until her thin, plastic gallon jug was full... and there were still plenty more n the patch. She tucked the jug into her burlap bag, not wanting the fruit to mix with the raw meat. She then headed to the river. She looked, but she didn't find any fish. She decided to turn back because there was a patch of wild onions and tomatoes near the log where she hid her bow.

She stopped when she saw a large nest, lying on the ground, filled with twelve whitish-yellowish eggs with little brow specks on them. They were each about two inches across, three inches tall, slightly wider on the bottom. Katniss guessed they were wild turkey eggs- and she grabbed those as well, wrapping them in her jacket to keep them from breaking before placing them in her bag. As she was tying up the opening, she heard footsteps to the side of her. Instinctively, she raced to hide her bags inside of another hollow log and started running to the nearest tree with a low enough limb to begin scaling it. She spotted an old birch that would satisfy her needs, but as she approached it, she stumbled over something on the ground and was suddenly hoisted up about ten feet into the air. Her head was pointing towards the ground and she couldn't gain control of her left leg. She tilted her eyes up to where her feet were located to find her ankle trapped in a snare.

 _Gale_.

"Damn you, Hawthorne!" Katniss cried, wiggling as the rope constricted around her ankle even tighter.

She suddenly heard someone crash through the shrubbery behind her, but she couldn't see who...even though she got a feeling she knew _exactly_ who it was.

The person behind her burst into a fit of laughter as she slowly twirled to face him, her arms crossed and a firm scowl decorating her young face. It was none other than Gale Hawthorne, her best friend and hunting partner. He stood before her, his face flushed and grinning as he chuckled some more about her predicament.

"Oh, Catnip..." He said tiredly, wiping tears from his eyes and clutching his stomach, " _That_ just made my day. So you like the new trap?"

She looked at him exasperatedly, "Oh, _yes,_ Gale, I _love_ the new trap," She said sarcastically, "Now me the hell down!"

He shoots her a wry, teasing smile, but begins to lower the rope on the snare anyway. Once it's low enough, she covers her head while he unties it from her ankle.

The moment she's released, she flips halfway in the air and lands deftly on her feet.

Gale whistles lowly, "Nice landing, Catnip."

The girl smirked and gave him playful shove, "Can it, Hawthorne."

She then scrambled over to where she hid her bags and retrieved them, flipping them over her shoulders. She comes back to the birch tree to find Gale holding a bag, too.

"What'cha got?" He inquired curiously, beginning to walk near the entrance of the woods by Katniss' hollow log.

She shrugged, "Some squirrels, some eggs, some strawberries for the mayor. Hoping to grab some vegetables on the way out," She nodded in front of them.

"Good haul then?" He looked down at her. He was very tall, even for a fifteen year old, and she had to admit, he was very handsome... with his grey eyes, thick, black hair that swept to the side and stubble on his chin and cheeks. He was tan, muscular, strong- but he was more of a brother to her than a love interest. It was strange to think of Gale _that_ way.

She nodded in answer to his question, "How 'bout you?"

He chuckled quietly, "Ah, not much. A couple of rabbits and some peas. Didn't really plan to do any hunting today. Just game out to check the traps."

"Peas?" She questioned softly. She didn't know there were any out here.

"Yeah,"He confirmed, "There's a tiny patch over on he other side of the river. Just found them today, but there weren't many."

"Oh," Was all she said in response.

Soon, they arrived at the hollow log and Gale left the woods while Katniss picked vegetables and placed them in her burlap sack. She bean to whistle quietly as she worked, but then stopped when she remembered where she was. _Who_ she was. There was no time for nonsense.

Katniss ventured out of the woods to find the sun still not too high in the sky, and a slight chill in the air, indicating it was only about nine in the morning. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her bags and headed to town.

The first place she went was the Mellark Bakery. She decided she better go to the back door of the shop, since she was about to trade illegally. She swiftly rapped on the door three times, then waited for a moment. She heard heavy footsteps coming closer towards her. She was begnning to think this was a bad idea... what if the baker didn't even _want_ to trade? She swallowed her fear, shook her head, and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear as the door opened.

There he was. And _he_ was most certainly not the baker.

The boy that stood before her was precisely her age, maybe a few months younger, but nonetheless he was much taller and more muscular than she, even at the ripe age of thirteen. His cheeks were just slightly rosy over his otherwise fair skin, and Katniss could make out a few freckles poking out from his slight blush. His blonde curls were an unruly mess, slightly damp, but yet somehow she found them endearing and even adorable. His eyes were an incredible blue- she had never seen them this close before, but they were magnificent. These weren't just the typical blue "town eyes", no, these were special. The crystal, deep, shimmering blue with tiny gold flecks in the middle. It was a dazzling sight. She tried not to gawk at him as she stood at his family shop's backdoor, unable to speak. Why was she even nervous? She didn't have a clue.

"Uh- um..." Peeta trailed off, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, "Uh- K- Katniss, right? What brings you here?" He asked politely, stepping aside and holding his arm out as if to gesture her to come inside, "Come in."

Katniss silently obliged, stepping through the doorway and watching as Peeta shut it behind her.

"I came hoping to trade with your father," She said simply, looking up at him as he stepped past her and pressed a few buttons on one of the many ovens.

He nodded, "Oh. Okay. Let me just- go get him for you," Peeta said, wiping his hands off on a towel before heading off into front part of the bakery where customers came in. She could hear muffled taking and the bell that rang when people entered and exited the shop. A couples minutes later, Peeta reentered the back part of the bakery, the large kitchen, with his father followng in suit.

"Ah, Hello... Katniss, is it? Your in my son's grade at school, correct? What brings you to the bakery?" He smiles broadly at her, reaching his hand out to shake. Him and Peeta were both so well mannered and polite, kind people... there two peas in a pod, much unlike Peeta's mother. She wondered what Peeta's brothers were like.

She smiled and nodded her head, shaking his much bigger hand, "I came hoping to trade with you," She repeated her words from earlier.

"Ah," He said, realizing she meant trade stuff from the woods, "Well what've ya got? What would you be looking for?"

She pulled out the five squirrels, already skinned, gutted, and cleaned, all with tiny holes through one side of the head through the other, just right where the eyes would be.

"I have some vegetables too," She added, but not mentioning the eggs. The Mellarks had a few chickens in order to have eggs to make bread, so she figured they'd be more useful to her than to them.

"Mmmhmpf," The baker nodded, inspecting the squirrels quietly, "And you really shot these?"

"And gutted 'em," She said softly, readjusting the bag over her shoulder.

"I have a special liking for squirrel," He beamed, "How'd you know?"

She shot him a sly smile, "My dad told me. Said he used to trade with the merchants in town... ya' know... before he..." She trailed off, looking down. Her dad told her how the baker loved squirrels one day while they were eating squirrel soup and Prim mentioned her favorite meat was wild turkey, and that squirrel meat was too wet and moist. It was a memory she held onto because it held useful information that could be helpful when she needed to trade.

The baker nodded slowly, "I'll take 'em. Now for you," He said, heading over to a rack of baked goods, "How's two white loaves..." he placed to soft, warm loaves of bread in her hands, "And a little something extra for the fifth squirrel," He finished, placing a small paper bag in her hand with a wink.

Katniss looked surprised by the amount of food he had given her for five skinny squirrels, "Oh no," She shook her head, eyes wide, "I can't except all this. Those squirrels were skinny. One loaf is enough."

The baker chuckled, "Nonsense. I haven't had meat all winter. I was actually hoping you'd show up in town with something for me."

The dark-haired girl blushed, "Are you sure? This really doesn't seem fair."

"Don't tell the ol' wife," He grinned at her before walking back up front.

Katniss huffed, looking over to Peeta. He had been watching the interaction, occasionally checking the ovens.

"Here," She thrust the paper bag and extra loaf into his hands, "Take these back."

Peeta shook his head, gently placing them in her bag, "My dad gave them to you for the squirrels. They're yours."

"Alright, alright," Katniss said reluctantly, giving into Peeta and his father's kindness, "Thank you," She said, suddenly looking into his eyes.

For a moment, they had a fierce staring match until it was abruptly halted by Katniss scurrying out the door.

She could only hope he knew what she meant.

She got the feeling he did.

 **/ /**

 **And that's Chapter 1! So, what did you think? ;) I like the part where Katniss descries Peeta... HOTTIE :D**

 **Until next time... R & R!**

 **Your Without Equivocation,**

 **Zan ;) (a.k.a zanifest)**


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